The use of language learning strategies in English reading at Doan Ket secondary school - An investigation

(2011) identified the importance of teaching ESL/ EFL reading but that thing could be optimum if using computers or applying techniques (e.g. CALL tools). The enhancement of reading comprehension in Vietnam partly resolved the difficulties in reading programs or reading software for academic students especially for intermediate levels or freshman students. Minh & Intaraprasert (2012) presented an exploratory study of the classification of language learning strategy and used LLSI to help enhance the two main categories: specific language skills and general language knowledge for the students in Vietnam universities in the north. Strategy-oriented individual learners can achieve their language learning purposes. Hoang (2013) explored the impact of LLS on learners’ language learning and performance among Vietnamese EFL Tertiary Students. The identification of LLS type, frequency as well as other related patterns (gender, major, English proficiency, students and teachers’ perception, attitudes and experiences, educational context) develop the principles for LLS, supporting the current curriculum, promoting more opportunities of language practice in the learning environment. Hung & Thao (2014) reviewed the importance of Metacognitive Strategy Instruction in Vietnamese EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension. They found that metacognitive strategies had a positive correlation with learners’ reading comprehension, and metacognitive strategy instruction could help these learners be more conscious in language learning, particularly in reading comprehension, stimulated their conscious use of other LLS. From here, it can be seen that most of the population of research and considerations were the students at universities or colleges.

There were few studies on the English learning of lower and upper secondary school students or high school students in Vietnam, and the majority of these studies were the contextual patterns of research. The considerable study on secondary school students of Mai (2017) explored and compared the

Informal of Language learning perspectives between Finnish and Vietnamese pupils aged 11-13 in the differences from culture and the regional areas. These comparative young learners’ perspectives performed their informal learning experience as well as the importance of informal learning in their general learning process. The pupils in both countries seemed similar to informal learning activities outside their schools but their English contact differed among the three groups of pupils (i.e. the Finnish pupils and Vietnamese pupils from private schools, and the Vietnamese pupils in public school). It was reported that Finnish pupils and Vietnamese pupils from the private schools had more beneficial to their English proficiency development than the Vietnamese pupils from the public school. This research justifies the omnipresence of English in the world creating itself an ideal environment for informal English learning and brings the most positive results in language learning, especially English. There was not much research on LLS of high school students but rather interesting. As Cong-Lem (2019) examined the use of six LLS among Vietnamese tenth graders which resulted in employing LLS at a medium level of frequency, metacognitive strategies were the most frequently used strategies, and affective strategies were the least of LLS. Moreover, gender was also considered an influential factor of students’ LLS. Thus, it indicated a necessity of LLS choice and LLSI to all the high school students. Phuc (2020) used the mixed method study to identify “reading difficulties” and considered reading strategies as one of the necessary tools for language learners to overcome those. Most of the participants were high school English language learners in Thai Nguyen Province, using LLS at moderate and high level. The results were concluded based on testing vocabulary and reading for the learners and on finding out the correlated factors from culture and psychology. That reaffirmed the aim of this study was to make use of appropriate reading strategies for students’ reading ability improvement. The

research perspectives at high schools proved the suggestions for research on secondary school students is necessary.

Language learning strategies (LLS) were much researched at the higher levels of education, mainly at colleges or universities. Viet (2016) compared Vietnamese English and non-English majors’ language learning strategies (LLS) with their frequencies. Oxford’s SILL questionnaire (1990) was employed as an instrument creating more information for Vietnamese students’ learning at public universities. The data analysis showed that students used six groups of LLS in which metacognitive strategy group was used the most and compensation strategy the least. The study supported providing a solid educational background in Vietnam in general and contributed to the theories of LLS in Asia in general. Giang & Tuan (2018) used quantitative research to investigate the differences in students’ use of English language learning strategies based on their English proficiency through the probability of sampling methods (mainly EFL Freshmen). Since English has been a compulsory subject in academics, these studies signify the effective choices of language learning strategies will determine the success of language teaching and learning beside the firm cooperation between teachers and students.

In another aspect, some related factors to English LLS were also explored in Vietnam. Linh (2019) identified a new set of knowledge, skills, and strategies as a reflective practice of education undergoing a transformation, in which dialectical thinking has enhanced student’s cognitive capacities. The cognitive, creative, and effective capacities are necessary for learners’ learning success since they have been created during the process of thinking and problem solving. In relation to Vietnamese culture, dialectical thinking becomes more critical, challenging new social technologies and bringing the world to its globalization. Linh (2019) suggested that “dialectical teaching” was necessary

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in Vietnamese students because of their lack of essential skills to learn while teachers were challenging their current teaching practices and changing their existing beliefs. The study concluded that there existed three main perspectives towards dialectical teaching in their potential contexts: receptivity, ambivalence, and reluctance but it also recommended improving people’s knowledge and teaching competencies for multi development, especially for teacher education. In doing so, these pedagogical approaches must be conformed to their social, ethical, and moral obligations. Language learning strategies are always an endless research topic for study works, the old ones are updated and spread over open future directions. Recently, Ngoc & Samad (2020) reaffirmed students’ learning styles and their LLS at Vietnamese Colleges. The passive learning styles as well as rote-learning knowledge among students need a newer trend “learners’ awareness” means to create an appropriate style for the contextual environment because it has depended on the students’ personality and how they learn in groups. The result of changes may be good conditions for the development of students’ flexibility in learning. Even in higher education, Huong (2015) identified the types of motivation to learn English in Vietnamese as well as the relationships between these motivations and their English language proficiency (self-perceptions of autonomy, competence). In addition, her study emphasized motivation was a significant factor in learning a second language successfully (the same as Dörnyei’s, 2009). From here, it proves that some related factors have affected on LLS when the changes of LLS have been made in the research procedures at different levels of education.

In brief, the domestic studies were a research synthesis emphasizing on the ways of English language acquisition through LLS and related factors in general, and most of these were on English language as a second language in

Vietnam without concentrating on a specific language learning strategy. The presentation of previous studies conducted in Vietnam does not seem to be consistent with those conducted in other countries, but shows the significance of LLS research and future directions towards secondary education in Vietnam. As mentioned in the beginning of literature review, the content of previous studies depended on the physical necessity including the considerations of LLS, reading strategy use in ESL/ EFL, language learning styles, learning motivations, classification of language learning strategies as well as the impact of LLS on students’ language apprehension in which the language learning priority should center on metacognitive strategies. Depending on the previous studies, this study motivated LLS use and instruction, enhancing a specific language and/ or a general language knowledge to secondary school students. However, the majority of researches done in Vietnam have often concerned with the upper secondary school students, tertiary students and higher education while only a few of those explored the research participants - Lower secondary school students, just for a general perspective of language learning without any specific LLS. Previous research has been a large, precious source of knowledge to human beings’ social civilization. The domestic studies were not completely disposed to explore LLS in Vietnam because of the sparse research and research limitations; however, they indicated a unite direction in ELT or LLT: using reading strategies to motivate students’ English ability and their critical thinking through the cognitivist paradigm which started at mnemonics for a language cognition and ended with metacognitive ability. The domestic studies were a research synthesis on the styles of English apprehension in Vietnam in comparison with other countries, posing Vietnamese’ language aptitude or their FLA. Furthermore, these studies contributed to justify the significance of LLS choice and LLSI in secondary schools in Vietnam. Research materials have brought the good inspirations of

being looked out and exploring the world, specifically for the current language learning next time. The findings of each research were a pleasure and a pride of a researcher, a teacher, or an educator. The new ideal experiences may create an invaluable property to national education. Any agreement or disagreement contributes to the implications for educational sectors, especially for the educational perspectives in Vietnam.

2.4. Research gap

Have any language learning strategies been used in secondary schools? or have we had any strategy training for those? The answer remains unavoidably discussable because everything depends on secondary school students’ level or scope of language knowledge. However, that problem makes a query here in this study is where the secondary school students take LLS from, under which stereotype, and if they may be sure about the feasibility of their using LLS.

Many researchers in the world have implemented their studies of LLS in the variety of educational forms looking at the problems from different angles (Rubin, 1975; Tarone, 1981; O’Malley & Chamot, 1990; Cohen, 1998; Chamot, 1998; Oxford, 1990s). However, the majority of researches have been found on a large scale for high schools, tertiary education and others whereas on the smallest scale for lower secondary school student participants in Vietnam (Minh & Intaraprasert, 2012; Hoang, 2013; Hung & Thao, 2014; Huong, 2015; Viet, 2016; Mai, 2017; Giang & Tuan, 2018; Cong-Lem, 2019; Phuc, 2020). In addition, those researchers not only concentrated upon LLS but on other related factors in ELT as well. A scatter of intercultural interweaving among the researchers from multi-nations has made the LLS implicated in various language skills or language areas a bit different from one another. Vietnam has skipped one of decisive factors for the learners’ language learning outcomes, the so-called learners’ awareness and learning styles of secondary

school students. Ellis (1997) stated that “learner beliefs and language learning explores the variable nature of learner beliefs relating to learners’ proficiency development. Both teachers and students do implication in ESL/ EFL classrooms promoting the common goals of learning and teaching English, reflecting the practical situation of education, and emphasizing the roles of teachers during the students' learning processes”. Fulfilling the use of LLS in English Reading as a link to another new step - attaining language proficiency and learning achievement (Griffiths, 2003; Yang, 2007; Ya-Ling, 2008), towards the communicative competence and support learning (Oxford, 1990). Therefore, a significant gap of this research is that the language learning strategies will determine the qualifications of secondary school students, particularly the use of English reading strategies helps students be more convenient in the transitional span from direct to indirect strategies during the English language learning process. Initially, memory strategies through mnemonics stipulate the use of more cognitive strategies among students, make a foundation knowledge and further development of metacognitive strategies to secondary school students, simultaneously offer the better conditions for employing other LLS (e.g. indirect strategies like affective and social strategies). Only when students can promote reading strategies, their learning awareness becomes increased. As a result, students are going to integrate both the language receptive and productive skills naturally. Apparently, this study was intended for DK Secondary School as the research population at the beginning time, the investigator was representing the facts in which the most used LLS influencing DK students’ performance in reading EFL whereas other similar studies in Vietnam nearly focused on the more widespread aspects in teaching and learning ESL at the upper levels (e.g. high schools, colleges, and tertiary education), and neglected the foremost basic stage of children’s language learning process - “Lower Secondary Education”, the teenaged

children with gradually-formed personality. The students’ language knowledge accumulation may be formidably derived from what they have achieved at secondary education (e.g. teenagers), ramified over the other levels of educational sectors, then orient all learning objects towards the long-life learning strategies.

Briefly, there was a correlation between DK students' frequency of LLS use and their learning achievement - performance in English reading, which was also the case with reading skills. The gap is that the fact-findings of Doan Ket Secondary School motivate the language teachers to improve the quality of learning and teaching EFL, help secondary school students change the learning viewpoints/ attitudes, quickly propose solutions for the existing problems in this school, enhance students’ use of more reading strategies in particular, and instruct these students the most appropriate LLS for better development at the next stages. This study helps improve the so-called secondary school students’ awareness and their active learning for achieving English communicative competence as a FL at secondary schools. Simultaneously, this study prepares for the next success in other LLS through the basic use of comprehensive reading as a framework bridging language skills, language areas or integrated skills in language teaching and learning (Oxford, 2020).

2.5. Summary of literature review

Chapter 2 contained the core problem of this study including an overall literature review of language learning strategies, the significance of the use of LLS in English reading at secondary schools, the previous studies about LLS, then found the research gap of this study. In the aspect of found, the chapter recalled how LLS were defined, which types of LLS were classified, and the factors related to LLS. In another aspect, it affirmed the significance of LLS use in English reading at secondary schools, together with the relevance of

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